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Boozer, Okur to stay with Jazz

After looking at their options, forward Carlos Boozer and center Mehmet Okur decided to exercise the options on their contracts and stay with Utah.

Okur's agent, Marc Fleisher, told ESPN.com of his client's decision.

Boozer

Boozer will earn $12.7 million and will join the star-studded free agent class of 2010. The decision was first reported by the Salt Lake Tribune.

"We are excited that Carlos has decided to remain with the Jazz," general manager Kevin O'Connor said in a release. "We are hopeful he can continue to play at an All-Star level and will have an injury-free season."

Boozer averaged 16.2 points and 10.4 rebounds last season but played in only 37 games due to injuries. He has scored 16.8 points and pulled down 10.0 rebounds per game for his career.

Okur averaged 17.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season. The 6-foot-11 center also hit 45 percent of his 3-pointers.

A few months ago, Boozer was confident he would be a free agent. He told ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan that he was opting out in December.

"I'm opting out. No matter what, I'm going to get a raise regardless," Boozer told ESPN.com. "I am going to opt out, I don't see why I wouldn't, I think it's a very good business decision for me and my family, but I'd also like to see what happens with the Jazz and stay here."

The landscape changed a lot since Boozer made his statement in December. The financial meltdown caused owners to pull back on spending. The free agent landscape looked pretty dicey. Only three teams -- the Pistons, Thunder and Grizzlies -- had enough money under the cap to offer Boozer a substantial deal. Two of those teams, the Thunder and Grizzlies, are young teams in the process of rebuilding. Boozer was not in either team's plans, according to sources.

That lefy the Pistons and Jazz. For months it was assumed that Boozer would land in Detroit. But last week Pistons sources told ESPN.com that Boozer wasn't the team's highest priority and that, if they pursued him, they weren't willing to give him the $13 to $15 million a year he's looking for.

The Jazz weren't in a great position to re-sign him either with Millsap and Okur still question marks. It's unlikely they would have gone over the luxury tax threshold to re-sign Boozer.

If neither the Pistons nor Jazz offered Boozer a contract, he might have been forced to take the mid-level exception from a team -- a drastic $7 million pay cut for Boozer next season.

That, according to sources, is what pushed Boozer into staying in Utah.

With Boozer returning to Utah, all eyes now turn to Millsap, who is a restricted free agent. If the Jazz decide to sign Millsap, they'll incur the dreaded luxury tax. However, a Jazz source told ESPN.com that they're willing to do it to keep Millsap. Millsap is expected to have a number of suitors including the Pistons, Grizzlies and Thunder. All three teams could give him a contract with a large starting salary in the $8 to $10 million range.

If the Jazz do pay the luxury tax to retain, it would only be for one year. Next summer, Boozer, Kyle Korver and Matt Harpring would all come off the books, putting their payroll back below the tax.

Information from ESPN Insider's Chad Ford and Chris Sheridan and ESPN.com's Marc Stein was used in this report.

Re: Boozer, Okur to stay with Jazz

I think they're looking at about a $72m payroll even if Milsap took his qualifying offer of somewhere in the $1m range, so I'm thinking he's gone.

They can still match any offer, but they will be paying in the neighborhood of $18-20 million for Millsapp next season if they do. I know they are floating out the rumor that they will go over the tax for him, but that's most likely a scare tactic.

That said, I think they deal Boozer to slash salary, and bring millsapp back.

It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.